Re: bf babies higher risk of nut allergy?

[Guest guest]

Self reported RETROSPECTIVE studies are the MOST LIKELY to be misleading.

Breastfeeding mothers are MORE likely to pay attention to their babies diets and

reactions to foods. Furthermore, you don't know which came first, the allergy

or the breastfeeding. Babies who might reject food because they are allergic

might breastfeed longer. Why would anyone submit such a poor study design? Why

would any peer-reviewed journal print such a poorly designed study?

Now, the thing that recently really pissed me off was taking one of those

practice exams for the upcoming IBLCE test. The correct response to one of

those answers was " PROVES the null hypothesis " for a question about a high

p-value. This is why the news media and health care practitioners who dabble in

studies are dangerous. A high p-value PROVES nothing. A too small sample size

can get you a high p-value even when you have very significant substantial real

effects.

Sigh.

Best regards,

E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC

[Guest guest]

Sing it !

Lea

[Guest guest]

My thoughts exactly ! Cole

[Guest guest]

Sharon:

Numbers don't matter if the initial selection criteria are not specific and well

defined. Reasoning like your own is far more important. Questioning the basic

assumptions. Considering other explanations. This is what is far more

important than p-values. And yes, there are other studies that show higher

rates of allergies among breastfed infants. My advisor reamed one student and

the authors of the study the student presented for being so blinded to their

preconceived notions of the outcome of the study that no one read their tables.

The tables showed that SYMPTOMS of allergies were more severe among breastfed

infants. Again, this was a study of self-reported symptoms.

Bests,